Beehive mover



Sept. 19, 1944. c. W I IQLVIAMS;

BEE HI'VE'T MOVER Filed May 20, 1943 V 7 Patented Sept. 19, 1944,BnEnIvn Moves Charles Williams, Antioch, Nebr. H Application May 20,1943, Serial No, 487,710,

p 2 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for facilitating the moving of beehives from one location to another, orfor merging one swarm withanother, as is frequently necessary in apiaries. The invention may beapplied to and used with any rectangular frame commensurate in area andmarginal configuration with a cross section of the hive upon which it isto be used, such as the frame of any conventional swarm connector, or itmay be applied to the base-board of a hive assembly in lieu of suchframe.

The prime object of the present invention is to provide convenient meansfor lifting and moving a complete hive including the lower brood hive orsection, the upper hive or section commonly referred to as the super,together with the base and cover boards, from one location to another;or for moving a super hive or section from one brood hive or section toanother, as in the process of merging two swarms, or for any similarpurpose; or for transferring a hive and super containing one swarm forthe pur pose of merging same with another swarm occupying another hive.Another object is to provide, in a device of the kind referred to, meansfor rigidly binding together the several parts comprising a. completehive, in such manner that these parts may not shift out of alignment inthe moving process, thus preventing the escape of any of the bees.

With the aforesaid objects in view, and such further objects andadvantages as may be developed in the specification, a preferredembodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a complete bee-hive including thebase board, brood hive, super hive and cover board, all firmly boundtogether by the device constituting this invention, as in the process ofmoving the assembly from one location to another.

Figure 2 is a similar perspective view showing the invention in use, inthe process of moving a super hive from a lower brood hive at onelocation, for placing it atop another brood hive at another location, asin the operation of merging two swarms. V

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the device as mounted on aconventional swarm connector and frame.

Figure 4 is a detail on an enlarged scale, of the method of mortisingthe frame of the swarm connector rat the underside thereof, to smoothlyengage the cross bar of the invention.

The invention is-for use upon a hive assembly including a flatbase-board 5, a'brood hive or section 6, a super hive or section I, anda top board or cover 8. In addition such assembly may or may not includea swarm connector or frame of any kind, of substantially co-equal areaand marginal configuration, as the frame indicated at 9, or in lieuthereof the base-board 5 itself in case the entire hive assembly is to.be

moved. 7

The invention includes a flat cross-bar l0, adapted to span laterallythe frame 9 of the swarm connector, and to fit smoothly into shallowrecesses H formed medially and in transverse alignment in the underfaces of the side bars of said frame. The cross-bar I0 is remov-.

ably bolted to the side bars of the frame by means of bolts l2 passedthrough the cross-bar and side bars, the bolts being screw headed andcounter 1 sunk in the under side of the bar l0, and the nuts or bursbeing similarly counter-sunk into the upper s ides of the side bars 9,whereby the swarm connector and frame may be smoothly located beneath asuper hive 1 in the process of removing the super and cover to a newlocation, as onto another'hive.

The ends of the crossbar H! are extended laterally of the frame or swarmconnector 9, as

shown, and eye-bolts I3 are passed through these extended ends. A pairof link chains l4, l5, or similar elements, are connected one each tothe eye-bolts at each side, and are long enough to mutually embrace theentire hive assembly as represented in Figure 1, after which their freeends are joined by means of the fastener-hook I6, or the like, wherebythe device may be readily applied to or removed from the hive units, as

desired. By locating the hook l6 through appro-' priate links of thechain l4, after the two chains have been pulled tautly over the hiveassembly,

the several parts of the assembly are held firmly together for movingsame to a new location. The V I I base board 5 may be recessed at itsunder side,

as indicated at 11, similarly to the recesses ll of the swarm connectoror frame 9, for engaging the fiat cross-bar I0, and holding same againstslipping.

In use, and if it is desired to move theentire hive assembly, the fiatcross-bar I0 is unbolted and removed from the swarm connector 9, and

is passed beneath'the' base-board 5 of the hive assembly. The chains I4,5 are then drawn" taut, up over the top of the assemblyand fastenedtogether by means of the hook I6, in the manner already indicated. Theassembly may Q then be readily moved, without danger of dislocation.

If it is desired to move a super hive T- from one brood hive, as thatindicated at 6, onto another brood hive, the process is as indicated inFigure 2. The flat cross-bar I0 is bolted beneath the swarm connector 9,and the latter is then passed below the "super hive and the chains l4,l5 are drawn up at each side and over the commensurate with thetransverse area of the sections, for positioning beneath the sections tobe moved, a cross-bar anchored transversely and medially across theunder side of the said fiat 5 element and mortised smoothly in place,the

ends of the cross-bar being extended laterally, chains. connected at oneend to the extended ends of the cross-barand adapted to'mutually embracethe hive sections over the top thereof,

cover 8, the chain ends. being .then joined. by 10 nd means. forreleasably locking the-free ends means of the hook lG'. V

While I have here shown and described a preferred embodiment of theinvention, and spe;

cific structural features thereof, the details of structure as describedmay be varied within-the scope of the claims.

I claim: 1. In a. device of the kind described for movin bee-hivesections, a flat element substantially of the chains together over thesections of hive.

2. In a device according to claim 1, the said chains and locking meanscomprising an open link chain at one side at least, and a fastening 15-h0ok secured to the free end of the other chain andadapted toreleasably engage any selected 7 link of the open link chain.

CHARLES WILLIAMS.

